Padded metal article



C. S. PHILLIPS PADDED METAL ARTICLE Jan. 20, 1953 Filed Oct. 18, 1949 Q Q Q C. 6'. PHILLIP-F w. V w

Patented Jan. 20, 1953 7 PADDED METAL ARTICLE Charles Sydney Phillips, London, England Application October 18, 1949, Serial No. 121,957 In Great Britain September 1, 1948 4 Claims.

This invention relates toarticles of a rigid or hard character such as metal which are padded, and has for an object to simplify the production of such articles. According to this invention a padded rigid or hard article comprises a spongy coating encasing the rigid article and an impervious flexible sheath around the aforesaid coating.

The spongy coating and the sheath may be formed from natural or synthetic rubber.

This spongy rubber coating may be arranged to adhere to the article and the impervious sheath is arranged to adhere to the spongy rubher.

The method of forming a padded rigid or hard article as described above may comprise dipping the article into aerated or frothed rubber composition before that composition is cured or vulcanised and either before or after curing or vulcanisation of the resulting coating, dipping the coated article into a rubber solution or vulcanisable rubber latex, thereafter curing or vulcanising the coated article. Alternatively, the two layers might be applied by spraying.

In'yet another alternative method the article to be coated may be placed in a mould into which the aerated or frothed rubber is introduced, vulcanising the mixture while in the mould and subsequently coating the moulded article by dipping or spraying it with a rubber solution or vulcanised latex.

In order to obtain an effective bond between 'the rubber and a metal article, the latter should be, well cleaned and degreased before dipping.

vide this band witha padded covering. This is usually effected by encasing the metal band in leather.

According to the present invention, a surgical truss comprises a springy metal band having a spongy rubber coating and an impervious rubber sheath around the coating as described above.

The aforesaid coating may terminate short of an end of the band which is to carry a pad for pressing on the rupture, in which case the impervious sheathing is arranged to be bonded to the faces of the metal band.

In the cases where an end of the metal band does not require to receive a pad, the spongy rubber coating is arranged to extend over the end of the band and the sheath is arranged to extend over this coating so as completely to enclose the end of the metal band.

The following is a description of one method of carrying the invention into effect and of a surgical truss, parts of which are padded in accordance with the method, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a double truss,

Figure 2 is a section through one of the pads,

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 33 in Figure 1, and

Figure 4 is a section through a mould for the pads.

Figure 1 illustrates a double truss of the known kind in which the waist of the wearer is encircled by a band H] to the ends of which are secured pads H. It is important that the pads shall be pressed firmly against the body and the band is usually formed from spring steel of considerable stiffness; thus if it is not adequately padded, it may chafe the skin of the wearer. Usually the padding is effected by a leather or fabric sheath, with padding material inserted "between the sheath and the steel band. A covering of this character, however, is liable to ruck up and also is not waterproof. According to the present invention the spring steel band I2 is encased in frothed or aerated rubber l3 which is encircled by a sheath M of rubber. The frothed or aerated rubber may be applied to the steel band either by dipping the band into a suitable rubber. mixture a number of times, which rubber is then vulcanised, or the mixture may be applied by spraying, or the band may be introduced into a mould the mixture then being poured in and finally vulcanized. After vulcanization, the outer sheath may be formed by dipping the coated article into a solution of rubber or rubber latex or by spraying with a solution of rubber or latex and in the case of latex, finally vulcanising it.

A sponge rubber mixture is also suitable for moulding the pad II, the mould being shaped to the required contour of the pad. In this instance as soon as the mixture has been formed it is poured into a jug with a comparatively large lip which facilitates the pouring into the mould l5 which may be provided with a number of cavities 16, each provided with a removable cover plate II. The cover plate may be retained securely in position by nuts I8, which engage studs l9 fixed in the mould and passing through holes in the cover plate. The mixture is poured into the cavities until it is flush with the top face of the mould. The moulds are made of silicon aluminium, and the cover plate is so constructed as not to be air-tight, thereby permitting the gases from the sponge mixture to escape. Alternatively, the mould can be made from plaster of Paris, in which case. the cover. plates may be formed from glass. When the moulds have been filled and the cover plates have been bolted down, the mould is placed in an oven where it is heated for about 1 hour at 100 C. which vulcanizes the mixture. The oven should be raised to a temperature of 120 C. before the introduction of the mould owing to the resulting drop of temperature when the cold mould isfirst introduced. After vulcanisation has taken place.

the mould is removed from the oven and the moulded articles are removed as soon as possible. When the shapes are being vulcanised the, foam in the moulds will expand causing it to exude from parts of the. moulds and. form a spew. This spew remains attached to each shape so that when the shapes are removed from the moulds they are joined toeach other. This spew is then cut away from the shapes, for example, byv scissors. The moulded shapes are then washed in warm water at a temperature of about 30 to 40, C. In order to enhance thevwashing the spongy rubber articles are squeezed while im:- mersed in the water. The shapes are then dried after as much water has been squeezed outv of them as possible. The drying operation is effeotedin an oven at 60 C; for about 6 hours.

As will, be seen from Figure 2; the moulded pad I I has secured to it a back plate 2| and, this in turn has secured to it by set screws 22 another plate 23 having a socket 24 for. engaging an end of the steel band, I2. The socket isprovided with a stem 26 which extends, through ahole in the plate 23 into a recess formed in the plate 2! and receives. a, securing nut 21. The plate 2| thus requires, to be located in a recess in the, moulded pad H, and for this purpose, each lid portion I! of the mould may be provided with a shaped projection 25 for forming, the recess, the plates 2| may be formed from aluminium alloy and may be secured in position by. a suitable solution.

The. bands or pads thus c-oatedwith vulcanised frothed rubber are then dippedin a bath of latex where they remain about aminuteand allowed to dry naturally for about twelve hours; they are then again dipped in a latex-oi rather lesser rubber content where they remain for about. one minute after which. they are slowlyv andcarefully takenout and have a motion. applied tothem so thattheliqui-d flows. uniformly over the surface. The articles coated with latex. arejthen dipped into a bathof a. coagulant comprising. calcium nitrate 185 =ccs., water 165 s., and methylated spirit 700 ccs. The coated'articles are thenplaced in an ovenabout 60 C. for five minutes andafter minimum temperature of 60 C. for 30 minutes.

In order to give the dipped articles a smooth finish three alternative methods may be employed. In the first method the latex covered articles are dipped into a water solution of chlorine (containing 280 parts of chlorine per million parts of water) the articles remain in the chlorine water for about two minutes, whereafter they are momentarily dipped in an ammonia solution of about 5% ammonia. The articles are then washed in water and allowed to dry and finished with a dusting powder.

In the. second method the latex covered articles are dusted with zinc stearate allowing the stearate to dissolve slowly in the rubber.

In the third method, which is applicable to the padsv only, the pads are placed in a tumbler mechanism with powdered mica and are tumbled until the mica becomes incorporated in the latex.

It will be noted from" the drawing that the coating of the band stops short of each end 28 which is bent downwardly and the dipping operation is carried out so that these ends remain above the level of the ingredients in the bath. In the final operation, the latex thus fiowsover the soft rubber and adheres to the metal band and completely seals the frothed rubber. Before the band is coated with the frothed rubber it is thoroughly degreased;

I claim:

1. A surgical truss comprising-a springy" metal band having a spongy rubber coating and an im"- pervious rubber sheath around the coating, aid coating terminating short of an end of the band which is to carry a pad.

2. A surgical truss comprising a springy'metal band having a pad secured to one end thereof, a spongy rubber coating and an impervious rubber sheath around the coating terminating short of that end which carries the pad and encasing the other end of the 'band. I

3. A truss band comprising a spring metal strip, a spongy rubber coating encasing the metal strip and terminating short of at least an end thereof, and an impervious rubber sheath surrounding the coating and contacting with the strip beyond the endsof' the coating.

4. A surgical truss comprising a spring metal band, a spongy rubber coating encasing the band and stopping short of at least one end thereof, an impervious sheathsurrounding the coating and contacting with the'exposed' part of the band and a padsecured to said exposed end.

CHARLES SYDNEY PHILLIPS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of, record in the file of this patent:.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 713,450 Kenyon Nov. 11', 1902 1,956,299 Pease Apr; 24, 1934 1,987,432 Chesterman Jan. 8,1935 2,190,807 Steinberger Oct. 20, 1940 2,323,827 Mason July 6, 1943 2 ,356,426 P'ortnow' Aug. 22, 1944 2,443,800 Pease June 22, 1948 2,560,712 Bell July 17, 1951 

